Graaille

Most tournaments have a qualifying process of some kind. It may be five games or, like the pros on the PBA tour, it may be 64 games.

In the qualifying portions of the tournament, including match play, you need to be a long-distance runner. During these portions, you're going to roll good frames and bad frames, but you have to maintain the attitude that you'll have time to make adjustments and make up for your mistakes.

However, now you've made the cut to a stepladder final or a four-man bracket, where one game means everything. (This is also very similar to a High Roller-type format.) At this point, you're no longer a long-distance runner--you're a 100-yard sprinter. You're not looking to experiment or try something different; you're looking to throw your 10 best shots and come through as the winner of that single game. Score no longer matters--regardless of your score, if you lose you're out.